McGill's Open House
March 29th, 2024
Today, we visited McGill University's campus. Our visit was guided by two students—one majoring in business and the other in arts—both of whom were incredibly welcoming and warm. The tour began with an overview of the admission criteria, tailored to the specific programs that might interest us.
Following this, our guides led us outside to explore the campus. As we walked around, I found the campus environment to be truly inspiring and motivating. I couldn't help but imagine myself studying here, which filled me with excitement.
We toured several buildings, including the main library, which is open 24/7 during exam weeks, and the engineering building, where an ice cream shop offers free ice cream to students who fail an exam—a humorous and comforting gesture.
We also discussed McGill's exchange program, which allows students to study abroad for a semester. This opportunity greatly intrigued me, as it offers a chance to explore the world, experience different cultures, and gain new perspectives.
By the end of the visit, I felt even more motivated to apply to McGill and am determined to work harder during my remaining sessions to make this dream a reality.
HEC Visit
Jeux ACAD
On March 15th, I attended HEC's event "Jeux ACAD." This event invites students to test their skills in diverse categories depending on their majors. Essentially, the way it works is that in small groups of four students, divided into different categories such as finance, marketing, strategy, etc., the teams get a case attributed to their teams and they have 24 hours to work on it, then present it to the judges the following day. In each category, after presenting their work to the judges, three winners are announced (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) and they receive prizes.
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My presence there was because I was accompanying the company that was the judge for the finance category during this event, 'Institut de Planification Financière.' This provided me with a unique perspective on the competition, as I was able to observe the judging process and understand the criteria used to evaluate the students' work.
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Once the competition was over, there was a cocktail hour where I got to chat with experts and students about the different cases and how their experience was. Most students were lacking sleep due to the 24 hours allocated to their project, but even with less than five hours of sleep, they still all spoke highly of HEC and their experiences so far. It was inspiring to see their dedication and passion for their respective fields, despite the challenges they faced during the intense competition.
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During the cocktail hour, I had the opportunity to connect with some students and exchange LinkedIn contacts, which is always beneficial, especially for future business students like me. These connections could prove invaluable as I progress in my academic and professional journey. Additionally, talking with financial planners really made me understand how important their role is and how not a lot of people know what they do and how beneficial they can be to individuals or businesses. Their insights into financial planning and strategy were eye-opening and reinforced my interest in the field.
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Overall, the whole experience was very enriching and I'm really glad I got to be a part of it. If I decide to attend HEC next year, I will definitely try to participate in it! The event not only solidified my interest in pursuing a career in business and entrepreneurship but also gave me a glimpse into the supportive and dynamic community at HEC. The positive feedback from current students and alumni, combined with the hands-on experience I gained, has made me even more excited about the possibility of studying there.
Bad Monkey Popcorn Workshop
March 14th 2024
On Thursday march 14th, we had the privilege of meeting one of the co-founders of Bad Monkey, the Canadian popcorn company, who also serves as one of the two CEOs. The workshop took place at Collègial International Sainte-Anne. Joey Zeppilli, explained to us how he started his popcorn company here in Montréal with his brother Fabio Zeppilli at the young age of 28. During the discussion, he talked about the founding of his brand, which is now easily accessible in grocery stores and overall pretty successful. He additionally shared his regrets about some of the choices he made, his participation in Dragons Den (the video link is provided below), the current state of the company's growth, and his plans for it. I greatly enjoyed this workshop as it resonated with my long-standing aspiration of being successful as an entrepreneur. Learning about the achievements of others in this field greatly motivates me to put more effort into the business I am currently building in the Parcours Savoir-Affaires course.
Bad Monkey Popcorn at Dragons Den
Debate Club
In the works
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